MTRH’s ‘Kenya Survivorship Ride’ Raises Awareness for Pediatric Cancer Amidst Alarming Survival Rates

The  Leadership of The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), renowned as the leading pediatric care facility in Sub-Saharan Africa, Monday flagged off a pivotal endeavor dubbed  as the “Kenya Survivorship Ride” aimed  at creating pediatric cancer  awareness in the country.

This initiative, comprising over 20 cyclists, aims to raise awareness about pediatric cancer cases. Dr. Owen Menach, the Acting Senior Director of Clinical Services at MTRH, emphasized the significance of early screening and treatment in combating pediatric cancers, stating, “Pediatric cancer cases can be dealt with through creating awareness as well as early screening and treatment.”

Dr. Oibara Gilbert, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, underscored the grim reality of pediatric cancer survival rates in Kenya, noting, “Only two to three of the ten children diagnosed with cancer survive in Kenya, with the bulk of the children dying undiagnosed of cancer.”

Dr. Jesse Lemmen, hailing from the Netherlands and the organizer of the “Kenya Survivor Ride,” articulated that survivorship among children with cancer serves as a beacon of hope, offering inspiration in the management of pediatric cancer cases.

Wema Sala, a 6-year-old participant, joins in the Kenya Survivor Ride

He further revealed a concerning trend, stating, “Over the last three years at MTRH, we were seeing only 150 cases of cancer among children per year. Currently, we are attending to close to 350 cases annually. However, this is only 25 percent of the cancer cases we are supposed to be attending to. Ideally, we are supposed to be seeing 1,700 cases. This means over 70 percent of children with cancer are not coming to the hospital, and they are in the community unaware.”

Dr. Owen highlighted the prevalent forms of cancer among children, stating, “The most common forms of cancer among children include blood cancer-leukemia, cancer of the lymph nodes, and solid tumor cancer of the kidneys.” Looking ahead, he announced a significant investment, stating, “In the next 52 weeks, we will be officially opening a $2 million cancer care hospital for children. This investment will significantly boost cancer care in children.”

Expressing gratitude to the national government, Dr. Owen acknowledged the launch of the National Social Health Authority and the Social Health Insurance Fund. He emphasized the transformative impact of these initiatives, stating, “Out-of-pocket cancer health payments will be a thing of the past, which will have a tremendous impact on the management and follow-up of children with cancer and general healthcare.”